This post is by guest blogger Aramis.
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Categories: Review
Tags: ds
Cooking Mama is a saucy game with a sweet premise: You too can learn to cook weird Japanese versions of American food or get yelled at by a lady whose eyes are on fire. Don’t worry; you can cook regular Japanese food, too.
Admittedly, this “game” is almost pure game–the cupboards are so packed with recipes (15 initially and 61 others unlockable) that there isn’t much room for things like a story, setting, characters, or really, anything inedible. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; think of it as an unironic WarioWare title, just heavier on the explanations and lighter on the weirdness… er, sort of. If you’re into Japanese culture and/or its inherent strangeness Mama’s got plenty of meat for you.
While you’re playing though, you’re totally caught up in the hustle and bustle of working in the kitchen. You will feel a sense of accomplishment the first time you peel all the potatoes. Great in short spurts or over longer stretches, the game will serve you up heaps of smiles (and curses).
As a series of timed minigames the game’s got either infinite replayability or none at all. Some people will enjoy the frantic Zen of cooking with Mama and some will prefer to sit back and bask in the glow of success, either way she works cheap, so that’s okay. Personally, after getting a gold medal in every recipe (I’m halfway there!) I think I’ll give this Mama a permanent vacation and hire a chef, though the drills in different cooking skills like slicing, kneading, or breading and the create-a-meal modes may extend Mama’s stay in my DS.
Bottom line, for 20 bucks it’s hard to resist this tasty treat.